With war against Iraq beginning in the Persian Gulf, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) yesterday sent notices to the Ministry of Communications and Transport warning about aircraft and ship safety.
The notices were sent to the ministry at 11:47am, approximately one hour after the start of the war.
"The territorial airspace of Iraq is closed to all non-coalition aircraft, except central command authorized medical freighting, rescue/recovery and humanitarian flights, until further notice," one notice said.
"Aircraft entering this airspace do so at their own risk," it said.
"Coalition naval forces may conduct military operations in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Arabian Gulf," the AIT notice said.
"The timely and accurate identification of all vessels and aircraft in these areas is critical to avoid the inadvertent use of force," the notice said.
According to the notice, all vessels are advised that coalition naval forces are prepared to exercise appropriate measures in self-defense to ensure their safety in the event they are approached by vessels or aircraft.
"Coalition forces are prepared to respond decisively to any hostile acts or indications of hostile intent," said the notice.
Any maritime vessels or activities that are determined to be a threat to coalition naval forces will be subject to defensive measures, including boarding, seizure, disabling or destruction, without regard to registry or location, the notice said. "Consequently, surface vessels, subsurface vessels and all aircraft approaching coalition naval forces are advised to maintain radio contact on bridge-to-bridge channel 16, international air distress [121.5 MHZ VHF] or military air distress [243.0 MHZ UHF]."
Moreover, the notice said vessels operating in the Middle East, Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, and Arabian Gulf are subject to questioning, being stopped, boarded and searched by coalition warships operating in support of operations against Iraq.
"Vessels found to be carrying contraband bound for Iraq or carrying and/or laying naval mines are subject to detention, seizure and destruction," said the notice.
AIT issued another warning to aircraft that may operate in the same regions mentioned in the notice to vessels. The notice advised all aircraft approaching coalition naval forces to maintain radio contact with the above-mentioned frequencies.
The ministry has sent the aircraft warning to China Airlines and EVA Airways and the shipping warning to Evergreen Marine, Yangming Marine Transport and Chinese Petroleum, said Vice Minister Tsai Duei (
The ministry also suggested the airlines change their passenger routes to Europe in order to fly south of Iraq and to reroute their cargo flights to fly north of Iraq.
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